How to sterilize jars for canning

[lyndalou]

Can anyone help me out with this? I want to make pickled turnip and need to sterilize the jars but can't figure out how. I'm thinking that I just have to put a rack in the bottom of my deep pot,add water, bring to a boil then put the empty jars, lids, etc in and boil for about 15 mins. Since the turnips will go in raw, I would let the jars cool a little before I fill them. Then seal and place in my pantry for however long. The recipe says at least a month.

Also plan to try my hand at making wine jelly. Would I do the above method as well (if it's right).
Help will be appreciated.

 

[Raine]

Look under term & techniques, there are a couple of canning links there. You'll have to scroll through them to find as they were all combined.

 

[HanArt]

Turnips are a low-acid food which means they MUST be processed using a steam-pressure canner in order to destroy microorganisms. Pick up a copy of the Ball Blue Book at your local Walmart or bookstore (about $5.). It's an excellent guide with many tested recipes.

You can make wine jelly using a boiling water bath. As long as your process time is at least 10 minutes there's no need to sterilize the jars first; they just need to be hot. Again, find a current tested recipe and have fun, but be safe!!!

 

[buckytom]

they don't have to be pressure canned if they're pickled with enough acid in the vinegar. but the jars do have to be sterilized for pickled stuff. if you have doubts about the acidity, squeeze some lemon juice on top before sealing the jars.
place the jars in a pot large enough to be able to cover them with at least an inch of water. make sure the jars do not to touch each other. bring water to a boil, and keep it boiling for 10 minutes. carefully remove the jars, emptying out the water, and place on a towel to cool, again, so that they're not touching.

 

[HanArt]

Bucky, she didn't even mention processing them. And "squeezing some lemon juice on top" is not the best advice. You need at least 1/4 cup of vinegar and/or other acidifier (equally as strong) for every pint of pickled whatever. And you still have to process in a BWB for 10-20 minutes depending on the produce.

Sterilizing the jars is only necessary if you're processing for less than 10 minutes. For longer processing times they need to be heated at 180° for 10 minutes either in a large pot full of water or in the dishwasher. They should be kept in the pot or DW until needed, then removed one at a time.

 

[buckytom]

umm, yeah, i assumed "pickled turnips" are jarred with enough acidic liquid to allow water bath canning.

the lemon juice tip comes from the ball blue book of canning, btw.

 

[HanArt]

lyndalou, instead of Bucky and I trying to guess what you're doing how 'bout sharing the recipe? That way we're all on the same page.

 

[amber]

Can anyone help me out with this? I want to make pickled turnip and need to sterilize the jars but can't figure out how. I'm thinking that I just have to put a rack in the bottom of my deep pot,add water, bring to a boil then put the empty jars, lids, etc in and boil for about 15 mins. Since the turnips will go in raw, I would let the jars cool a little before I fill them. Then seal and place in my pantry for however long. The recipe says at least a month.

Also plan to try my hand at making wine jelly. Would I do the above method as well (if it's right).
Help will be appreciated.

Your method for sterilizing sounds fine to me, I've done the same. I'm not sure about canning turnips, but it's best to cool the jars, in my case I was canning strawberry preserves.

 

[lyndalou]

The recipe is from a cookbook on Middle Eastern cooking. It is very simple. Peel and cut up some turnips, put them into sterilized jars and mix together 2 cups of vinegar , 1 tbsp. pickling spices, 1 tsp.salt. Place 1 clove of garlic and one dried red hot pepper into each jar and cover the turnips with the vinegar mixture. Seal the jars and let stand for at least a month.

I made them yesterday afternoon. I boiled the jars for 15 minutes, let them cool a bit then filled them as above. My main concern now, is that the jars were touching one another in the pot. Why is that an issue? I have them in my refrigerator . Hope I don't end up having to throw them out, but would appreciate any advice. Better safe than sorry.

Thanks for trying to help me out.

 

[HanArt]

They're not supposed to touch so they don't break. Obviously that wasn't a problem. Did you process the filled jars in a boiling water bath? Even if you didn't, the best news is you put 'em in the fridge instead of the pantry. Shouldn't be any worry about bacteria or spoilage.